It's time to hit the reset button. Yup, the scarlet one with the image of a knight on it right over there.

Not all the way back to 1869, mind you, or even to the blessed events of Nov. 9, 2006.

But it's been a rough 20 months, dating back to about three weeks after the Big Ten announced Piscataway would be their portal to the New York market. And with this marriage of convenience to be officially consummated in the coming weeks, Rutgers has a unique opportunity for a new beginning.

Because when Penn State takes the field at High Point Solutions Stadium on Sept. 13, it will mark the program's most important game since that scrum against Princeton that started it all, with the potential impact of a win on a magnitude with that joyous victory over No. 4 Louisville eight years ago.

It's a fresh start financially, with Big Ten Network dollars eventually giving the nation's most heavily subsidized athletic department a fighting chance in that elusive quest for self-sufficiency.

It's a chance to increase visibility on an overcrowded sports landscape dominated by pro sports and rebrand an image that's been tarnished by scandal and questionable judgment.

There's the long-term stability of a league anchored in NCAA bedrock, with the ability to put down roots after an acrimonious and litigious separation from the Big East, followed by a transition season in the American Athletic Conference.

And in the coming years, there may even be an opening to regain a recruiting foothold, especially in New Jersey, after a staggering 13 players backed out after verbally committing over the past year.

I know, it's a lot, what with Kyle Flood coaching for his job this season and all.

Along these lines, there are a couple of ways this could go.

There's the easy way. That's the one that involves a 2-0 Scarlet Knights storming into their inaugural Big Ten affair and knocking off a vulnerable Penn State, with the Nittany Lions playing just their third game under coach James Franklin.

Just imagine the impact it would have. All at once, the alumni and fan base are engaged, they have the full attention of the local media and the team would be flush with the confidence that winning breeds.

Knock off Navy and Tulane before Michigan — one of the biggest unknowns in conference with a new offense — comes to High Point Solutions Stadium. The schedule gets decidedly tougher after that, but winnable late-season games with Indiana and Maryland loom.

The bottom line is that while the Big Ten is certainly a step up from the AAC, it's not the SEC or Pac-12. There will be opportunities to make an immediate impact if the team can play solid, mistake-free football.

Then there's the hard way. That one involves a road loss at Washington State — picked to finish fifth in the six-team North division in the preseason Pac-12 poll — to open the season, and disheartening home losses to Penn State and Michigan.

All of which sets an ominous tone with Ohio State, Nebraska, Wisconsin and Michigan State still to come. The focus will turn from the on-field action to the future of Flood and the coaching staff, as well as athletic director Julie Hermann, as ticket sales tumble along with donations.

The reality is that the way the 2014 season plays out will be somewhere in the middle of all that.

The presence of an experienced offensive guru like Ralph Friedgen has to make quarterback Gary Nova better. Their defense may be better suited to the smash-mouth brand of football in the Big Ten than the high-flying aerial assaults they encountered in the AAC.

All of which is balanced by the toughest schedule in school history.

Don't be surprised if the Scarlet Knights pull off a shocker at home. Nor should anyone be shocked at a clunker or two against teams they're supposed to beat.

Play some good, hard-nosed football, be competitive, don't do anything off the field that raises eyebrows and see what it adds up to at the end.

Because right now Rutgers gets a do-over. And there's likely no athletic program in the country that needs one more than they do.